Beneath the Planet of the Apes
:"The only thing that counts in the end is power! Naked merciless force!" ::--'General Ursus' Primary Cast: * James Franciscus as John Brent * Linda Harrison as Nova * Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius * James Gregory as Gen. Ursus * Charlton Heston as Col. George Taylor * Kim Hunter as Dr. Zira * David Watson as Dr. Cornelius * Tod Andrews as Col. Donovan 'Skipper' Maddox * Paul Richards as Mendez XXVI * Victor Buono as Adiposo the Fat Man * Don Pedro Colley as Ongaro the Negro * Jeff Corey as Caspay * Natalie Trundy as Albina * Gregory Sierra as Verger * Thomas Gomez as Minister * Eldon Burke as Gorilla Sergeant, Soldier #2 * Paul Frees ... Narrator * Roddy McDowall ... Dr. Cornelius (archival footage) * Lou Wagner ... Lucius (archival footage) Synopsis An astronaut, named Brent, is sent on a mission from Earth to find the missing astronaut crew from the first film, and as his bad luck would have it he crashes on the planet of the apes, Earth, where he stumbles upon an underground city where the last humans have hold up in hiding from the dreaded ape army now out to exterminate mankind as man is not so kind to monkeys. He finds Nova and predictably gets caught by the apes. He finds Taylor and they get caught up in the battle between the humans and the apes. The movie kills off every major character along the way, and allows Taylor in his dying act set off the atomic bomb ending the war between the animals and in doing so destroys all life on planet Earth. Cast And Crew Supporting Cast (uncredited): * James Bacon ... Gorilla (Ape holding the horn?) * Bruce Fleischer ... Gorilla * Army Archerd ... Gorilla * Edward J. Aubry ... Chimp Protestor * Angelina Bauer ... Chimp Protestor * Maxine Botelho ... Chimp Protestor * Frisco Estes ... Chimp Protestor * Paul A. Fabian ... Chimp Protestor * Lenmana Guerin ... Chimp Protestor * Stanton (Stan) Barrett ... Stunt Gorilla * Dick Bullock ... Stunt Gorilla * Mickey Gilbert ... Stunt Gorilla * Eddie Hice ... Stunt Gorilla * Clyde (Ace) Hudkins ... Stunt Gorilla * Dick Hudkins ... Stunt Ape * Alan Gibbs ... Stunt Ape * Kent Hayes ... Stunt Ape * Gary McLarty ... Stunt Ape * Bill Burton ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * Gary Epper ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * Orwin Harvey ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * Whitey Hughes ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * George Sawaya ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * Walter Scott ... Stunt Masked Gorilla * Hank Calia ... Stunt Wagon Driver * Tap Canutt ... Stunt Double * Tony Epper ... Stunt Double * Terry Leonard ... Stunt Double * Pat Thompson ... Stunt Double * Eddy Donno ... Stunts * Loren Janes ... Stunts * Carl Rizzo ... Stunts * Chuck Roberson ... Stunts * Jack Williams ... Stunts * Calvert Botelho ... Stock Ape * Phillip Wilson ... Stock Ape * William Graeff, Jr. ... Stock Ape Ad Lib * George R. Miller ... Stock Ape Ad-Lib * Mel Pittenger ... Stock Ape Ad-Lib * Dave Rogers ... Stock Ape Ad-Lib * Erlynn Botelho ... Ad Lib * Eddie Smith ... Ad Lib * Edward Bach ... Picket (voice dubbing) * Tim Burns ... Picket (voice dubbing) * Judd Laurance ... Picket (voice dubbing) * Michael Sterling ... Picket (voice dubbing) * Wayne Storm ... Picket (voice dubbing) * David Westberg ... Picket (voice dubbing) * Richard Carlyle ... Soldier (voice dubbing) * Tom Hatten ... Soldier (voice dubbing) * John Logan ... Soldier (voice dubbing) * Richard Wilson ... Soldier (voice dubbing) Locations: * Ape City Production Crew * Producer ... Arthur P. Jacobs * Associate Producer ... Mort Abrahams * Unit Production Manager ... Joseph C. Behm * Script ... Paul Dehn, Mort Abrahams * Director ... Ted Post * Assistant Director ... Fred R. Simpson * Second Unit Director ... Chuck Roberson * Director of Photography ... Milton Krasner * Editor ... Marion Rothman * Music ... Leonard Rosenman * Orchestrations ... Ralph Ferraro * Sound ... Stephen Bass, David Dockendorf * Make Up ... Dan Striepeke, Norman Pringle, Jack Barron * Hair ... Edith Lindon, Madine Reed, Shaleen Walsh * Costume Designer ... Morton Haack * Costumes ... Wally Harton, Norman Salling, Phyllis Garr, Adele Balkan * Creative Makeup Design ... John Chambers, Leo Lotito Jr. (assistant, uncredited) * Special Photographic Effects ... L.B. Abbott, Art Cruickshank * Art Directors ... Jack Martin Smith, William Creber * Set Decorators ... Walter M. Scott, Sven Wickman * Art Illustrator ... Fred Harpman Notes ]]. * The movie was adapted into a stand-alone comic by Gold Key Comics, the first comic book adaptation of any of the POTA movies, in December 1970. * This movie was later adapted into a novelization by writer Michael Avallone. * In 1974, Power Records released a read-along book and record collection which adapted this film. * Actor Don Pedro Colley is credited only as "Negro", and Victor Buono as "Fat Man", in the closing credits of the film. The names 'Ongaro' and 'Adiposo' were invented by The Mutant News fake newspaper issued at the time of the movie's release. [http://www.potamediaarchive.com/Beneath.htm ''Planet of the Apes Media Archive] Colley's official web-site lists his character's name as Ongaro. [http://www.donpedrocolley.com/index.htm The Official Don Pedro Colley Website] ('Negro' is a term used repeatedly by screenwriter Paul Dehn. The term had almost passed out of acceptable usage, but was not intended offensively, as it was used to specify succesful or sympathetic characters: the 'Negro Lawyer', a member of the Presidential Commission in Escape; the 'Negro Tycoons' in Conquest; and both MacDonalds were requested to be 'negro' for the purposes of the plot. He also said "It's a very curious thing that the 'Apes' series has always been tremendously popular with Negroes who identify themselves with the apes. They are Black Power just as the apes are Ape Power and they enjoy it greatly."'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972)) Inconsistencies The first movie, Planet of the Apes establishes that Taylor and his crew crash-land back on Earth in the year 3978. This is shown on the Icarus' date-meter as well as the main menu screen on the Planet of the Apes: The Evolution DVD collection. In Beneath the Planet of the Apes however, Brent's ship lands on Earth after the events in the first movie, but indicates that the year is 3955. This date is referenced again in Escape from the Planet of the Apes when Zira reveals some critical information while under the influence of alcohol. This continuity gaff may be reconciled if the gauges on Brent’s ship malfunctioned prior to landing, stopping the time-meter clock at the year 3955. This however does not reconcile Zira's confirmation of the year 3955 in Escape from the Planet of the Apes, as her only knowledge of the Greco-Roman calendar would have come from the Icarus. Behind the Scenes (See also: Beneath the Planet of the Apes Concept Art & Costume Tests) The challange of coming up with an ending as shocking as that of the first movie proved extremely difficult. An initial script treatment from Pierre Boulle ('Planet of the Men', July 1968) was rejected; Rod Serling was offered the task and was very interested, but couldn't do the script because he was on another assignment; Michael Wilson said scripting duties for (unspecified) Apes sequels were also offered to him but he felt he had 'done his duty to the apes'. Finally, Paul Dehn submitted the story that would become 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' (titled 'Planet of the Apes Revisited') in September 1968, but one notable difference was the ending. While the bomb is set off, it destroys only the mutant city and the gorilla army therein. However, Charlton Heston didn't want to commit to a sequel, but agreed to make a brief appearance; the original storyline for Taylor was adapted for the character of John Brent. It was decided that Taylor's character would function as a framing sequence for the film; he appeared briefly in the beginning of the movie, where he falls into the Mutant trap, and returns towards the end of the film for the movie's climax. "Fox is now willing to accept my proposal to do a brief transition bit for them in their new version of APES. I don't think it's a good idea, but of course I'll carry out my promise to them. I pointed out to Dick Zanuck that, while I sympathized with him from a corporate point of view, as an actor there was really no sequel possible. The only story you could tell had been told; anything further would just be adventures among the monkeys. While this might well be profitable, there was nothing new to act in it. Still, as Dick said, they couldn't really undertake a sequel if I weren't in it at all" - Heston.'The Actor's Life' by Charlton Heston In the script version of December 1968, Taylor and Nova, and now also Brent, after considering whether they should try to return to their own time, lead the rest of the primitive humans to the Ape City, where Zira and Cornelius free the captive humans held in their cages. A final scene is set in the far future, where a group of children are being tought about that final war, how the armies were all killed and how Taylor brought peace and harmony to all. The teacher is a chimpanzee and the children are human. The script goes on to cut to the Forbidden Zone where a group of horribly mutated apes emerge from a tunnel and, symbolically, shoot a dove.Hunter's Planet of the Apes Scripts Archive By April 1969 however, Heston was suggesting that his character, and indeed the entire planet, be killed off, meaning that the planned ending of the film would have to be drastically cut. "They asked me to simply disappear in the opening sequence. I agreed, if they'd then kill me off in the end, thinking I could end the whole thing with a death that included the end of the world. I sold them on this, but they were cleverer than I; they still made several sequels, though without me."'The Actor's Life' by Charlton Heston He convinced Richard D. Zanuck, who was in the process of being fired by Twentieth Century Fox ("I sold the director and producer on the idea" - Heston). Director Ted Post objected to the new ending: "We had other endings, but the order came down from Dick...that was the picture I was involved with that found Dick Zanuck not in a very happy state of mind. His conclusion about the picture was a reflection either consciously or unconsciously of what he felt. The meaning of it was not too profound and, if anything, it lacked meaning. It lacked human significance. It didn't have a theme or a premise worth anything. If anything, it was cynical and pessimistic because of the finish of it. I don't believe in dampening the human spirit like that. I don't care how realistic you want to be - I'm an optimist, basically".'Planet of the Apes Revisited' by Joe Russo and Larry Landsman. James Franciscus was also unhappy with the revised conclusion, while Linda Harrison was tired of playing Nova and looking forward to moving on to TV series 'Bracken's World'. Nobody was considering any further sequels at that point. Arther P. Jacobs had 26 practitioners of the art of make-up working in the film Beneath the Planet Of The Apes. And that was eight weeks before shooting even started. They were employed in the laboratories at 20th Century Fox under the direction of Dan Striepeke, the departmental chief, and John Chambers, the chief make-up designer. They were designing and manufacturing the facial appliances which turned the actors into apes and mutated humans. When filming began the staff increased to between 85 and 90 working on high pressure days. Depending on the number of extras involved, the number of make-up men increased as high as 100. In order to fill this need, Chambers and Striepeke instituted a series of classes for make-up apprentices at the studio. "For the New York ruins in 'Beneath', we used actual photographs of the places, cut them with razor blades, and the special effects department matted them in. The church in 'Beneath' was purposely asymmetrical and off balance. That was a tough set, and I had a lot of help from many people on it. We used a standing set, the Harmonia Gardens from 'Hello, Dolly!', and revamped it, spraying all over it with foam. The Grand Central Station set from 'Dolly' was used too, for the tribunal scene." - Art director William Creber'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive Trivia ]] * One of the original plot devices for this film included a human-ape hybrid, but the scene proved controversial enough that the MPAA would not have granted Arthur P. Jacobs a "G" rating for the film. In an effort to keep the franchise "family friendly", the scene was excised from the final product. A rare screen test of the human-ape hybrid can be found on the 1998 documentary ''Behind the Planet of the Apes. Behind the Planet of the Apes; 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1998 * This film is the POTA debut of actress Natalie Trundy. Playing the role of the mutant, Albina, Natalie would be the only female to appear in 4 of the 5 POTA films as Dr. Stephanie Branton, and Ceasar's wife Lisa. Natalie was also the wife of the late film producer Arthur P. Jacobs. * The final scene where Taylor hangs onto the detonator by his fingers is an elaborate reference to a scene from Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), where a worker collapses in the factory in a similar fashion.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog * Burt Reynolds was considered for the lead role of John Brent.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog * Orson Welles was offered the role of General Ursus, which he turned down.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog * Don Medford agreed to direct the movie, but walked out after the budget was halved.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog * Producer Irwin Allen used the tiled tubular set of subterranean New York for a 1968 episode of Land of the Giants and as an electrical power-duct in his 1969 TV-movie City Beneath the Sea. The same set would be used in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes as corridors between sections of the Ape Management complex.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog * Arch Oboler contributed an uncredited revision to the screenplay.'Government Committee on Cinematography' blog Quotes Ursus: "I'll tell you one thing that every good soldier knows! The only thing that counts in the end is power! Naked merciless force!" Cornelius: "But you don't understand. Only apes can speak. Not her, and not you. If they catch you speaking, they will dissect you! And they will kill you! In that order!" Ursus: "Brutal butchery! I swear those responsible shall pay with torture and with death!" Dr. Zaius: "If you have any pity, bid your soldiers to shoot our poor people." Ursus: "I can't order them to do what the Lawgiver has forbidden! Ape shall not kill ape." Ursus: "He bleeds! The Lawgiver bleeds!" Mendez: "Glory be to the Bomb, and to the Holy Fallout. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen." "May the Blessings of the Bomb Almighty, and the Fellowship of the Holy Fallout, descend upon us all. This day and forever more." Ongaro, the Negro: "Mr. Taylor, Mr. Brent, we are a peaceful people. We don't kill our enemies. We get our enemies to kill each other." Taylor: "The doomsday bomb. Another lovely souvenir from the 20th century. They weren't satisfied with a bomb that could knock out a city. They finally built one with a cobalt casing, all in the sweet name of peace." Brent: "Those bloody fools! They don't know what they've got. They pray to the damn thing. If they shoot it off at some of those apes, it could set off a chain reaction in the whole atmosphere." Taylor: "Burn the planet to a cinder. How's that for your ultimate weapon?" Dr. Zaius: "You ask me to help you? Man is evil! Capable of nothing but destruction!" Narrator: "In one of the countless billions of galaxies in the universe lies a medium-sized star. And one of its satellites, a green and insignificant planet, is now dead." Reaction Cast And Crew Beneath the Planet of the Apes proved to be surprisingly poorly-recieved by most of the people who worked on it. While it garnered more modest returns than it's predecessor, this was to be expected with sequels; in fact it performed quite respectably, enough to justify a further sequel. The bad experiences on set and behind the scenes may go some way in explaining it's unpopularity among it's creators. * "We had other endings, but the order came down from Dick...that was the picture I was involved with that found Dick Zanuck not in a very happy state of mind. His conclusion about the picture was a reflection either consciously or unconsciously of what he felt. The meaning of it was not too profound and, if anything, it lacked meaning. It lacked human significance. It didn't have a theme or a premise worth anything. If anything, it was cynical and pessimistic because of the finish of it. I don't believe in dampening the human spirit like that. I don't care how realistic you want to be - I'm an optimist, basically." - Director Ted Post'Planet of the Apes Revisited' by Joe Russo and Larry Landsman. * Director Ted Post said he found it "a very challenging experience" working with the fllm's "hodgepodge script," and trying to give it "a concept, a point-of-view, a unifying force." He felt the film had "a shape, a character that gave it a visual and visceral thrust," but also that "the story was unclear and didn't measure up."'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive * 'Which of the films do you like the least?' "The second one". - Producer Arthur P. Jacobs'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive * "I wanted a more optimistic end to 'Apes 2' than the destruction of Earth by the Doomsday Bomb. - Screenwriter Paul Dehn'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive * "I thought the ending was awful. A picture without hope...I think Ted (Post, director) and I PLEADED for someone to survive this mess, be it Chuck (Heston)'s character or the girl or Brent's character - SOMEBODY far enough away from the explosion for whatever reason so that mankind is still left". - 'Brent' actor James Franciscus'Planet of the Apes Revisited' by Joe Russo and Larry Landsman. * "Jim Franciscus called, frothing at what he feels are the inadequacies of the APES 2 script. I'm inclined to agree, but I don't know how much can be improved." - 'Taylor' actor Charlton HestonThe Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976 by Charlton Heston (1978) * "I ran APES II tonight, with many misgivings. It was a little better, actually, than I'd thought it could be. Aside from many careless errors in structure and detail, the main problem is that the leading character Franciscus... a good actor really has nothing to play, as I predicted would be the case when I refused the role. I'm barely acceptable in a cameo reprise of the Taylor role from the first film." - Charlton HestonThe Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976 by Charlton Heston (1978) * 'Zira' actor Kim Hunter found this movie more difficult to work on than the first one, which had a "special, experimental nature that was exciting." The second one, she said, was "pure melodrama," and that "whatever is said was lost."'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive * "Beneath wasn't as good as the first, 'cause of course we had Franklin J. Schaffner on that one and he was one of the top, top directors." - 'Nova' actor Linda Harrison'Starlog - Woman of the Apes' (April 1995) * "As much as I enjoyed the first film, my favorite project was the third one, and I think it was by far a better picture than the second one. What the second one lacked was the real relationship between the apes and the humans, and this is what 'Escape' had." - Art director William Creber'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive * Mort Abrahams co-wrote and co-produced Beneath the Planet of the Apes; although it was "essentially my idea", Abrahams was dissatisfied with the result. * "As in most sequels, there was a deterioration of quality - in this instance to the level of comic-strip science fiction. But I had nothing to do with the sequels, and my reaction may therefore be subjective." - Planet of the Apes screenwriter Michael Wilson'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive Only 'Zaius' actor Maurice Evans seemed to have anything positive to say about the movie: * "There is every reason why a story should be expanded if the author has really got anything to say. And I think in the case of the sequel to Planet of the Apes, the public will find that the author has a great deal more to say than he had in the first one. In fact, the sequel to my way of thinking, is infinitely more profound from a philosophical standpoint. In many ways more frightening."'Cinefantastique Planet of the Apes Issue' (1972) at Hunter's Planet of the Apes Archive Related Articles * Beneath the Planet of the Apes (Novelization) * Beneath the Planet of the Apes (Comic Book) * Beneath the Planet of the Apes (Power Records) * Beneath the Planet of the Apes (Marvel Comic Book) * Fellowship of the Holy Fallout External Links * Beneath the Planet of the Apes at Wikipedia * Beneath the Planet of the Apes at IMDB * Beneath the Planet of Apes review * Hunter's Planet of the Apes Scripts Archive (featuring alternative script versions) References ---- ---- 02